Where do you get your motivation to climb, do a particular route etc? What makes you excited? Are you attracted to pushing yourself physically? Mentally? Like aesthetic lines? Get excited after hearing about good climbing on a clean route? Get satisfaction from being able to pull hard moves at your limit and connect the puzzle? Want to have an adventure on unknown terrain? What makes you excited about climbing rocks, ice, boulders?

Climbers on the Shield

Credit: Vitaliy M.

Hamik hanging out on Karma De Los Condores

Credit: Vitaliy M.

Me on pitch two! Easy sticks and super fun climbing.

Credit: Vitaliy M.

Cute goats around Enchantment Lakes

Credit: Vitaliy M.

I noticed that I like all kinds of climbing, but at different times I am excited about different things. Scrambling peaks in Sierra, doing long routes, short and difficult climbs, sport climbing, ice flows, some aid climbing even. At times I don't even feel like climbing, and during other times I can't stop thinking about some climb. Get a bit (OR REALLY FKING) obsessed till the point I can't go to sleep because I would be thinking about the climb. Usually I get drawn to good rock, hard climbing, aesthetic lines, adventure, trying to explore new (for me) areas. It really makes me excited when I see changes in my technique and I really like climbing with interesting people. Makes me feel alive.

At this point just getting outside to the woods and hills is my motivation.
Soon I will be able to climb again, and it will be baby steps. Just getting onto an easy route, getting high up on a cliff, or even hiking up a trail (I hate hiking) will be my motivation. Small things, until I regain the strength to get back to where I was, if not stronger.

Pics are always great motivation, especially the sh#t you hardmen/women do. Thanks for the stoke!

For me climbing is a means to that end, like hiking, caving, fishing and anything else that gets you to new places. There are lots of aspects to climbing that are great, but exploring is the main driver (for me). I see a place and want to get there. It just so happens that sometimes that place is the top or side of a rock, therefor I had to learn how to climb.

What limpicrab said meant a lot of sense to me. Just having a reason to be out there. I have learned a lot about myself. I tend to be very cautious and having the right partner is important for me. I am not a type A kinda guy.
I have noticed that if I warm up on the stone my stoke meter and vision of the climb becomes more clear. When I first walk up I usually am intimidated and will back off. I think knowing yourself and accepting your inner voice is really important and therefor the right partner is a good thing.
The warm up really means a lot. It tunes me in.

Sure. Exploring, being with friends, enjoying the views are all part of the climbing experience. But you can have the same doing backpacking or kayaking.

The question is, IMO, what motivates you to CLIMB? How is it different than backpacking, for example?

Why does it have to be different? Someone might be motivated to drive race cars and if you examine their motivations closely you might think they were talking about mountain climbing or bullfighting or some such.